-LRB- Cosmopolitan -RRB- -- So it 's over , huh ? I 'm sorry . Here are some books to feed your heart and keep your brain/hands busy so you do n't pour yourself a big glass of Jose Cuervo and battery acid .

1 . `` Him , Her , Him Again , The End of Him '' by Patricia Marx

Seriously . Read this . Realizing that the guy you 've wasted time on for years is a vacuous , pretentious douche nugget is actually kind of funny , and Marx proves it . A satirist who writes for the New Yorker , she 's confessed that the book -- about an unnamed , neurotic college girl who spends 10 years pining for a pretentious PhD student -- is based on her own experience with her own unnamed douche nugget , which is probably why it feels SO right .

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2 . `` This Is How You Lose Her '' by Junot Diaz

The lovelorn main character routinely screws over the women he 's dating , but you ca n't help but like him a little bit , since he 's one of those inimitable Diaz protagonists . It 's snappy and fun to read , and the final story will remind you that men need to realize they 're assholes before they become non-assholes , which sometimes takes awhile .

3 . `` Ethan Frome '' by Edith Wharton

A departure from Wharton 's normal New York society jam , this sad-as-hell stark and beautiful novella is about a man with a sickly wife living in a small town who falls for her pretty young caretaker . It does not end well . People have worse lives than you . Now go change out of those sweatpants , muchacha .

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4 . `` I Do n't Care About Your Band '' by Julie Klausner

I 'll let Ms. Klausner , a comedian and successful podcaster , sell this for you .

`` As a kid , I took my cues from -LSB- Miss -RSB- Piggy , chasing every would-be Kermit in my vicinity with porcine voracity and what I thought was feminine charm . Remember how content Kermit was , just strumming his banjo on a tree trunk in the swamp ? That 's the guy I 've chased my whole life , killing myself trying to show him how fabulous I am . Kermit never appreciated what he had in Piggy , because she was just one great thing about his awesome life . I wonder how many guys from my generation looked to Kermit as an example of what the coolest guy in the room looks like . How maybe they think it 's fine to defer the advances of the fabulous women they know will always be there , while they dreamily pursue creative endeavors and dabble with other contenders . ''

GAH , IT 'S JUST SO GOOD .

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5 . `` Monica 's Story '' by Andrew Morton

Yes , that Monica . You might feel like it 's confusing that this book is on the list , but not only is it `` Scandal '' - level entertainment -LRB- and real life ! -RRB- , you also look back at the 1998 scandal in a totally different way than you might have . She was 22 and infatuated with a manipulative married man . Sure , he also happened to be the most powerful guy in the free world , but the story is more relatable than you might think . I felt stuff .

6 . `` Dolores Claiborne '' by Stephen King

Not for the faint-hearted . A blue-collar housekeeper in a police station , being questioned about the murder of her longtime employer , an eccentric and wealthy elderly woman -- and that 's just where it starts . The heart of Dolores ' story is the actions she takes when her drunk , abusive husband rapes their young daughter . It 's a chilling book but showcases the resilience of women , even those trapped in unbearable circumstances , in a really powerful way .

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7 . `` Winesburg , Ohio '' by Sherwood Anderson

Connected tales of a small town and its residents , who are mostly lonely and sexually repressed . Not as bleak as `` Ethan Frome , '' but similar deal , except the female characters are more human and complex .

8 . `` The Position '' by Meg Wolitzer

This novel tracks a suburban family , whose mother and father published a `` The Joy of Sex '' - style book of sex positions with paintings of themselves as the models , over a period of about 20 years . The book became a cult success , and their children -LRB- two girls and two boys -RRB- grow up in its shadow . It depicts adult relationships in a very realistic but still interesting , way -- and the character of Holly , the older girl , is fascinating .

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9 . `` Random Family : Love , Drugs , Trouble and Coming of Age In The Bronx '' by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc

This sprawling reported non-fiction book is so absorbing that you 'll forget about all your problems . LeBlanc , a journalist , captures the tiniest aspects of the lives of two teenage Puerto Rican girls as they grow up in a bad neighborhood , have kids young , and one ends up in prison for working as a mill girl for her flashy heroin-dealing boyfriend . -LRB- At the end of the book , they 're in their late twenties and mid-thirties ; LeBlanc spent 10 years basically living with their families . -RRB- But LeBlanc does n't condescend to the women , nor does she criticize their choices . She simply observes and reports , and her dedication shows that she truly cares about breaking the cycle of poverty .

10 . `` How Did You Get This Number '' by Sloane Crosley

Crosley is like your smartest , funniest female friend , who articulates all the delights and inconveniences about being a young , ambitious woman in a big city that you 've always felt but never known how to explain it . The last essay , `` Off the Back of a Truck , '' is about Crosley 's relationship with a guy who secretly had another long-term girlfriend at the same time . The girlfriend eventually finds Crosley in the guy 's phone -LRB- under `` Doug '' -RRB- and calls her . It 's really rough , and it articulates the steps of breakups in a way that will confirm you 're not insane for wanting to smack everyone who asks , `` How long were you dating ? ''

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What books helped you move on after a break-up ? Share your ideas in the comments on Twitter @CNNLiving or on CNNLiving 's Facebook page !

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